Biggest Exporting Industries in China in 2021

1. Mobile Phone Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $134.2B

Industry revenue for the Mobile Phone Manufacturing industry is expected to increase at an annualized 2.6% over the five years through 2021, to total $250.2 billion. This trend includes anticipated growth of 6.5% in the current year. The industry developed rapidly from 2013 to 2015 due to the popularity of 4G mobile phones. However, the industry's expansion has since slowed as the 4G mobile phone market has reached saturation. 5G mobile phones are projected to significantly expand sales volumes.

Many companies have expanded into overseas markets to benefit from economies of scale. With the advantage of a high performance-to-price ratio, Chinese... Learn More

2. Smart Phone Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $118.7B

Revenue for the Smartphone Manufacturing industry in China is expected to increase at an annualized rate of 7.2% over the five years through 2021. In 2021, industry revenue is expected to fall by 5.8%, to $203.3 billion, mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Exports are estimated to account for 58.4% of industry revenue in 2021.

Demand for smartphones has grown strongly over the past five years, due to the rapid development of 4G and 5G technology, an abundant smartphone product portfolio and competitive product pricing. In late 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued 4G licenses to China... Learn More

3. Integrated Circuit Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $113.5B

The Integrated Circuit Manufacturing industry in China is expected to grow at an annualized 6.9% over the five years through 2020, although growth has been volatile over the period. An increased focus on intellectual property and patents has contributed to revenue growth. Moreover, national support policies have provided a good environment for industry development.

The industry exhibits high international trade. Industry exports are expected to reach $113.5 billion in 2020, accounting for 68.3% of industry revenue. Meanwhile, competing imports are expected to reach $291.8 billion, satisfying 84.7% of domestic demand.

Historically, most firms in the Integrated Circuit Manufacturing industry in China were... Learn More

4. Computer Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $107.5B

China has become the computer production base for the world. It is also the largest consumer of computer products. Demand for computers from domestic and global markets has driven the development of the Computer Manufacturing industry in China.

Industry revenue is expected to increase at an annualized 2.5% over the five years through 2021, to total $277.3 billion. Technology for computers has developed rapidly in recent years, driving consumers to purchase product upgrades. However, industry revenue declined between 2014 and 2016 due to falling foreign demand and a saturated domestic market. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home... Learn More

5. Computer Peripheral Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $78.3B

Declining retail prices and intense industry competition have contributed to relatively slower industry revenue growth and narrower profit margins over the past five years. As laptops have become more popular, demand for some computer peripheral equipment has declined. Overall, revenue for the Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing industry is expected to grow at an annualized 1.9% over the five years through 2020, to total $231.8 billion. This trend includes expected growth of 1.2% in the current year.

International trade is highly important to the industry, with exports driving the industry's development over the past decade. Exports accounted for 96.6% of industry revenue... Learn More

6. Building Construction in China

Exports for 2021: $54.2B

Over the five years through 2021, revenue for the Building Construction industry has been growing at an annualized rate of 3.3%, to $2.5 trillion. This includes an expected increase of 4.5% in the current year. There are approximately 34,200 construction firms in this industry. Most of the building construction major players also have operations in civil engineering, real estate development, professional engineering services, plan designing, building materials manufacturing, and construction equipment manufacturing. By operating across different sectors, firms are able to decrease costs and maintain stable supply sources.

Large general contractors are relatively stable and less vulnerable to industry changes, due... Learn More

7. Software Development in China

Exports for 2021: $51.3B

The Software Development industry has grown strongly over the past five years. Industry revenue is expected to increase at an annualized 7.0% over the five years through 2021, to $1.2 trillion. This trend includes anticipated revenue growth of 7.5% in the current year. Strong demand from downstream software users and the government, along with solid pricing, have supported the industry's performance over the past five years. The industry's development has also been supported and encouraged by the Chinese Government, with the government instituting several policies to support the industry. The government's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016 to 2020) lists software development... Learn More

8. Apparel Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $50.9B

The Apparel Manufacturing industry performed well from 2015 to 2019. However, industry revenue is expected to decrease at an annualized 1.0% over the five years through 2021, to total $332.9 billion. This trend includes a 4.1% reduction in 2021. With new consumer groups, individualized, fine-differentiated and young clothes have become the mainstream for the industry. In addition, big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence have brought big changes to the industry over the past five years.

The industry currently has 19,123 enterprises, employing 4.4 million workers with an estimated payroll of $47.2 billion. The rising prices of raw materials, in addition... Learn More

9. Steel Rolling in China

Exports for 2021: $50.2B

In 2020, revenue for the Steel Rolling industry in China decreased by 6.6% to total $952.2 billion. Over the past five years, revenue has increased at an annualized 2.2%, driven by rising demand for high quality and value-added steel products from downstream industries such as automobile manufacturing (IBISWorld industry report 3721) and real estate management and development (7210a and 7210b).

In recent years, industry operators have experienced supply surplus problems. However, long-term prospects are promising as China continues to become more urbanized and the government focuses on expanding infrastructure. The number of enterprises operating in the industry has been falling over... Learn More

10. Computer Tablet Manufacturing in China

Exports for 2021: $42.6B

Revenue for the Computer Tablet Manufacturing industry in China is expected to rise at an annualized 11.8% over the five years through 2021. In the current year, revenue is expected to grow by 9.8% to reach $89.8 billion, mainly driven by demand for more and more people who work or study at home because of epidemic prevention and control requirements. Exports are estimated to account for 47.5% of industry revenue.

The top four companies in the industry, Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft, account for an estimated 49.2% of industry revenue in 2021. Industry concentration has been increasing over the past five... Learn More